Check out the new machine learning tools in Silhouette 2024
Boris FX has released Silhouette 2024, the latest version of the roto and paint software.
The update introduces a number of new AI-trained nodes to speed up routine tasks, including Matte Assist ML for generating quick animated mattes from a single frame.
New Retime ML and Optical Flow ML nodes semi-automatically retime footage, and generate optical flow data for use with Silhouette’s roto tools.
Matte Assist ML generates animated mattes from a single rotoscoped frame
One of the most significant new tools in Silhouette 2024 is the Matte Assist ML node, which creates animated mattes isolating an object from the background of footage.
Users feed in a single frame with an alpha channel, and Matte Assist ML automatically propagates the matte throughout the clip, matching the motion of the object.
The alpha channel can be created using existing roto tools like the PowerMatte node, or the new EZ Mask node, which generates masks semi-automatically.
Users paint rough strokes to identify the foreground and background of the frame, and EZ Mask generates a matte automatically.
Boris FX describes the combination as a quick way to create garbage masks, temp comps or any task where “sub-pixel-perfect roto isn’t necessary”.
New AI-trained nodes for retiming footage and generating optical flow data
The update also introduces Retime ML, a new AI-trained retiming node.
The retiming effect is keyframable, and Boris FX claims that it generates smoother results with fewer visual artefacts than the legacy tools.
A separate new Optical Flow ML node generates optical flow data from video footage.
It can be used with Silhouette’s existing roto nodes, or with a new Auto Keyframe tool that “uses flow data together with manual animation”.
The Denoiser ML node introduced in Silhouette 2023 has been updated, and now features new, “2x faster” AI models.
Workflow and performance improvements
Workflow improvements in Silhouette 2024 include support for brushes in Photoshop’s .abr format.
The nodes shared with Boris FX’s effects plugins have been updated to match their current releases: Continuum 2024 and Sapphire 2024.5.
Silhouette’s Mocha tracking node has also been updated to integrate the core solver from from SynthEyes, which Boris FX acquired last year.
Performance improvements include “15-30% speed increases” when using multiple GPU nodes, while roto nodes use “33% less” memory.
In addition, a new Cache node caches all upstream nodes to disk to speed up playback.
Price and system requirements
Silhouette 2024 is available as a standalone tool for Windows 10+, Linux and macOS 12.0+, and as a plugin for Adobe software and OFX-compatible tools like Nuke.
Perpetual licences of the standalone cost $1,995; the plugin costs $1,095. Rental costs $150/month or $795/year for the standalone; $100/month or $495/year for the plugin.
Read an overview of new features in Silhouette on the product website
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